Debra Bethard-Caplick
Graduate Research Project
University of Maryland, UniversityCollege
PO Box 34930
Chicago, IL60634
P: (773) 625-3782 F: (773) 625-3784
Survey on the Use of Public Relations Measurement and Evaluation
To: Public relations practitionersYour assistance is requested with this research project, which is in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a master’s degree. Please answer all of the questions in this form and fax or email it by Friday, July 21, to the address listed above. If you would like a copy of the results, please provide your contact information to me at the address above in a separate message, in order to protect your confidentiality. If you have any questions, you can reach me at , or 773-625-3782.
Thank you for your valuable assistance.
Debra Bethard-Caplick
Graduate student, University of Maryland University College.
Public Relations Measurement & Evaluation Survey
This survey is an attempt to determine what measurement and evaluation methods are currently in use in the profession of public relations. Please take a moment to indicate your answers below.
1.For classification purposes, please indicate where you work:
/ Independent practitioner / / Small department (2-10 people) / Small agency (2-10 people) / / Medium-sized department (11-20 people)
/ Medium-sized agency (11-20 people) / / Large agency or department (20+ people)
2.Do you currently or have you in the past two years used outside companies for measurement of your public relations activities?
(circle one) Yes No Unsure
3.Do you currently or have you in the past two years conducted measurement yourself?
(circle one) Yes No Unsure
4.Does your department or organization specifically allocate funds for research, measurement, or evaluation on a regular basis as part of its total annual budget for public relations programs and activities?
(circle one) Yes No Unsure
5.Which of the following statements comes closest to describing how your department or organization currently handles public relations research, measurement and evaluation projects? (PLEASE SELECT ONLY ONE RESPONSE)
/ Little or no research/measurement/evaluation work is done. / Most of the work is done internally.
/ Most of the work is done by outside counsel and/or suppliers.
/ Assignments tend to be evenly divided between doing them internally and using outside counsel and/or suppliers.
/ Other (please specify) ______
6.During the next two years, do you anticipate that the volume of public relations research, measurement and evaluation studies that your department or organization carries out annually will:
/ Increase by10% or more / Increase by 1-9%
/ Remain approximately the same.
/ Decrease by 1 - 9%)
/ Decrease by 10% or more
7.What proportion of your total annual budget for public relations is allocated for research, measurement or evaluation projects?
/ Less than 1% / / 10 -14% / 1 - 3% / / 15- 19%
/ 4 - 6% / / 20% or more
/ 7 - 9% / / Don’t know/not sure
8.Which of the following measurement methods are you currently using? Please place a mark in the space to the left of those you are currently using, or have used within the previous two years. For only those you have indicated using, please indicate whether you believe that method to measure output, outtakes, or outcomes, according to the following definitions:
Output: The immediate results of a particular PR program or activity, for example, the number of news releases sent out, the number of articles generated, the number of those who might have seen or heard the story, inquiries generated, etc.Outtake: A determination of whether the targeted audiences received the messages, paid attention, understood them, or retained them.
Outcome: Whether attitude and behavioral change occurred in the target audience.
Please make your choices below:
Item/Element Measured / Output / Outtake / Outcome / Publication/broadcast of story / / /
/ Media outlet category (daily/weekly paper, wire service, local vs. national TV,etc.) / / /
/ Use by targeted journalist / / /
/ Targeted geographic area (region, state, ADI markets, etc.) / / /
/ Source of story (media pitch, news release, press conference, unsolicited, etc.) / / /
/ Story form/type (hard news, feature, product review, editorial, etc.) / / /
/ Presentation (text only, graphics, charts, photos, color, etc.) / / /
/ Column inches/broadcast time without multiplier use / / /
/ Column inches/broadcast time with multiplier use / / /
/ Reach (also called ‘opportunity to see’) / / /
/ Advertising value equivalency / / /
/ Message content analysis / / /
/ Targeted media (byline, specific broadcaster, etc.) / / /
/ Message readability/understandability / / /
/ Total number of placements or media impressions / / /
Item Measured / Output / Outtake / Outcome
/ Total circulation or potential audience reach (opportunities to see) / / /
/ Client target audience or potential audience reached / / /
/ Client/company mentions / / /
/ Client product/service mentions / / /
/ Competitor mentions / / /
/ Competitor service/product mentions / / /
/ Client/Company share of voice compared to competitors within story / / /
/ General issues covered / / /
/ Client messages covered / / /
/ Competitor messages covered / / /
/ Spokespersons mentioned/quoted / / /
/ Tone/stance toward client or company (also called slant) / / /
/ Headline tone/stance/slant / / /
/ Content favorability/unfavorability / / /
/ Call to Action (phone/web/mail inquiries traceable to story / / /
/ Cost of message placement/distribution (news release distribution fees, brochure printing, etc.) / / /
/ Number of media representatives attending event/press conference / / /
/ Target audience response (via Web response, phone inquiry, postcard return, etc.)
9.If there are other items you measure that are not included here, please write them in the following spaces and provide a brief explanation of what they measure. Also, please check to indicate whether you consider them to measure outputs, outtakes, or outcomes.
Item Measured / Output / Outtake / Outcome / / /
/ / /
/ / /
/ / /
/ / /
10.Which of the following techniques do you or your department use to measure or evaluation public relations results. Also, please check to indicate whether you consider them to measure outputs, outtakes, or outcomes.
Measurement Method Used / Output / Outtake / Outcome / Focus group / / /
/ Mall or shopping center intercept / / /
/ Mail surveys / / /
/ Pre- and Post-test (Before and after polls) / / /
/ Surveys using sophisticated data collection and analysis techniques, such as conjoint or factor analysis / / /
/ Publicity tracking or media monitoring studies / / /
/ Studies that systematically analyze or track consumer inquiries, requests or complaints / / /
/ Studies that use experimental designs comparing “test” groups to “control” groups / / /
/ PR/communication audits / / /
/ Readership/readability studies / / /
/ Qualitative depth interviews with opinion leaders / / /
/ Studies that involve model building / / /
/ Literature searches and information retrieval projects / / /
/ Studies that involve secondary analysis of existing data / / /
/ Content analysis studies / / /
/ Studies involving psychographic analysis in addition to demographic analysis / / /
/ Studies involving observation, participation, role-playing, or similar techniques / / /
11.If there are other measurement methods you use that are not included here, please write them in the following spaces and provide a brief explanation of what they measure. Also, please check to indicate whether you consider them to measure outputs, outtakes, or outcomes.
Item Measured / Output / Outtake / Outcome / / /
/ / /
/ / /
/ / /
/ / /
12.What measurement methods would you prefer to use, if you were not constrained by time and budget considerations? Please list them in the following spaces and provide a brief explanation of what they measure, if they are not currently listed in the first set of questions. Also, please check to indicate whether you consider them to measure outputs, outtakes, or outcomes.
Item Measured / Output / Outtake / Outcome / / /
/ / /
/ / /
/ / /
/ / /
/ / /
13.Please indicate your agreement with the statements below, where 1 is strongly disagree, 4 is neither agree nor disagree, and 7 is strongly agree. Public relations measurement methods:
Strongly Neither StronglyDisagree Agree nor Disagree Agree
Are easy to use123456 7
Measures what I want to measure123456 7
Produces usable data123456 7
Is understandable by clients/non-PR managers123456 7
Answers my questions about program success123456 7
Is usable in future strategic planning123456 7
14.Please indicate how well you agree with the statements below, where 1 is strongly disagree, 4 is neither agree nor disagree, and 7 is strongly agree.
Strongly Neither StronglyDisagree Agree nor Disagree Agree
I use measurement and evaluation for strategic123456 7
planning purposes
My current evaluation methods measures what I 123456 7
want to measure
My current measurement methods produces usable 123456 7
data
I use measurement/evaluation to justify budget123456 7
requests
Strongly Neither Strongly
Disagree Agree nor Disagree Agree
I use measurement/evaluation as a political defense123456 7
against other departments
I use measurement/evaluation to educate executive123456 7
management on the role/value of public relations
I use measurement/evaluation to educate colleagues123456 7
on the roles/value of public relations
I use measurement/evaluation to educate colleagues123456 7
on the attitudes/opinions of key stakeholders
Thank you for your assistance in completing this survey. If you would like a copy of the results, please send your name and address, email or fax number in a separate mail or email (to preserve your confidentiality) to:
Debra Bethard-CaplickIn order to protect the confidentiality of your
PO Box 34930responses, please do not return this survey in Chicago, IL60634 the same envelope with your contact
nformation. Survey responses should be
Fax: 773-625-3784mailed/emailed/faxed to the address at left
by Friday, July 21.
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